The bodybuilder in hijab takes Kochi by storm
Majiziya Bhanu, 23, a student of Dental Sciences, was declared the winner of bodybuilding championship held here on September 9. But sadly enough, the young sportswoman is finding no support from the Government and the community to participate in the World Arm Wrestling Championship under 55 kg category in Turkey in October. The event is slated for October 13-22 at Antalya region in Turkey. She has booked her ticket to travel to Turkey on Oct. 11. The sportswoman also requires funds for constantly upgrading her dieting and other supplements. Her father works as a private cab driver. Mother is a housewife.
Speaking to this scribe on phone from her native village Orkkatteri in Calicut district, Majiziya said another girl trainee belonging to the SC category received full support from the Government while she has been looking around for sponsors.
The final year BDS student was a dark horse in the September 9 event. She was on the way to bench press competition in Alappuzha in the first week of September when someone suggested that she should try her luck at the bodybuilding championship too. She was encouraged by her fiance, Noor Ahamed. Her parents, Abdul Majeed and Raziya, offered their full support. And the resolute woman from the suburbs of Kozhikode stormed into the Kochi championship to flex her muscles. She struck to her favourites suit, the hijab, with which she had been attending powerlifting contest.
Bhanu, who has been training to be a powerlifter for over a year, said that she was clueless about bodybuilding contests when got onto the stage for the semifinals. She did not even know how to pose on stage. She was so tense that she forgot to forge a smile on her face. To her surprise, she was selected to the final.
Officials from the Bodybuilding Association of Kerala encouraged her. They told her she had a good chance and a little smile would help. Bhanu had her hands full though. She had to take part in the bench press championship in Alappuzha on Sept. 10 morning. She topped the senior women's section in the 52-kg category. She was crowned the 'Best Lifter of Kerala".
Equipped with quick tips from the male bodybuilders from her home district, Bhanu faced the crowd with confidence. There was no turning back. She beat the other finalists, including a professional from Mumbai. Bhanu said that she wanted to be a boxer. Her trainer Ramesh, however, suggested that she should focus on powerlifting. She travels from her village in Orkkatteri to the Kozhikode town every week to train with instructor Jayadas. Bhanu said that she wanted to be a boxer. Her trainer Ramesh, however, suggested that she should focus on powerlifting.
Bhanu has been representing her college in several tournaments. She has her eyes set on an international powerlifting title.
She can be contacted on whatsapp no. 95445-45411, cell: 94461-79069, email: majiziya.bhanu@gmail.com
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
